Aave, the largest DeFi lending protocol with $14.3 billion in deposits, is moving to deprecate 50 low-adoption asset reserves and fully wind down its deployments on six blockchain networks. The governance proposal was posted Wednesday by risk provider LlamaRisk.
The pruning plan
LlamaRisk’s proposal targets reserves that have seen minimal usage. The exact list of 50 assets hasn’t been disclosed, but the move is meant to streamline Aave’s core lending pools. Low-liquidity reserves can create inefficiencies and increase risk for users, the proposal argues. By removing them, Aave hopes to focus capital on assets that actually get borrowed and supplied.
The deprecation process will be gradual. Assets will first be frozen — no new deposits or borrows allowed — and then fully removed after a transition period. Existing positions can still be repaid or withdrawn during that window.
Six chains getting the axe
Aave plans to completely exit deployments on Sonic, Scroll, zkSync, Metis, Soneium, and Aptos. These are all layer-2 or sidechain networks where Aave’s presence never gained traction. The protocol will stop supporting those versions entirely, meaning users on those chains will need to move their funds before the wind-down completes.
LlamaRisk didn’t specify a timeline for the chain exits, but the proposal notes that each deployment will be handled separately. The risk provider likely assessed the low liquidity and user activity on those networks as not worth maintaining.
What LlamaRisk proposed
LlamaRisk is a third-party risk analysis firm that regularly submits governance proposals to Aave. Their recommendation to deprecate the 50 assets and six chains is now open for community discussion. Aave token holders will vote on whether to approve the plan. If passed, the deprecation will begin shortly after.
The proposal is part of a broader trend in DeFi: protocols cleaning up their offerings. Aave’s massive $14.3 billion deposit base means even small changes can ripple across the ecosystem. But for now, the focus is on cutting dead weight.
The community vote is expected in the coming weeks. Until then, users on the affected chains and holding the targeted assets should watch for updates — their funds may need to move.
